Ever since <a href="http://inhabitat.com/ucsd-unveils-striking-new-student-housing-building/">University of California San Diego</a> instituted their green building standard for all new construction, they've had a slew of new eco buildings go up, including the Housing &amp; Dining Services Administration building. It may have a boring name, but it has a really exciting facade and was designed by <a href="http://inhabitat.com/aia-cote-unveils-the-top-ten-green-architecture-projects-of-2011/2011-cote-top-ten-green_high-tech-high-chula-vista/?extend=1">Studio E Architects</a> to explicitly allow for daylighting, reduce heat gain and block the cool sea breezes. The color of the ocean itself, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/neo-solar-power-headquarters-has-a-striking-blue-folded-facade/">double glazed, ventilated facade</a> is just one of the building's sustainability strategies.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

UCSD's new facilities provides office space for the growing housing and dining department responsible for on campus catering along with an 8,000 sq ft catering kitchen and event and meeting space.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

Located on the southwestern corner of the UCSD campus, the catering facility shares loading space with the campus dining commons and is an key crossroad for campus circulation.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

The ocean and the coast were direct inspirations for the design and aesthetics of the building.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

The lower portion of the structure is composed of board-formed concrete walls made with fly ash. Mirroring the coast, the building makes use of a west stair case reminiscent of ramps common along the San Diego beach bluffs and a pier-like overlook.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

Transparency anddaylighting were the most desired features, but they could not come at a cost of overheating from the sun mid day through the afternoon. The prominent south and west facades called for a high performance glazing system, which is composed of two layers of glass and allows for ventilation to reduce solar heat gain.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

A portion of the large, 8,000 sq ft catering kitchen.

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UCSD Housing and Dining Services

Ever since University of California San Diego instituted their green building standard for all new construction, they've had a slew of new eco buildings go up, including the Housing & Dining Services Administration building. It may have a boring name, but it has a really exciting facade and was designed by Studio E Architects to explicitly allow for daylighting, reduce heat gain and block the cool sea breezes. The color of the ocean itself, the double glazed, ventilated facade is just one of the building's sustainability strategies.